Elsa Beskow, Ocke, Nutta och Pillerill, 1939

The reason why everybody just has to love Elsa Beskow is the way she always puts children centre stage. Nothing is ever forbidden or too dangerous. With a little help from some squirrels and hedgehogs, the boys and girls in her stories can overcome any challenge. She combined a great passion for nature and story-telling with modern sensibilities. This is the cover image used for her thirty-ninth book.

This combination of the beauty of nature and nostalgia earns Elsa Beskow her spot among the world’s top writers of children’s books. This is an exciting story about the joy of discovery and adventure, about rescue and helpfulness.

Elsa Beskow’s pictures have spellbound generations of young readers and their parents all over the world, and will continue to do so for many years to come.

“Elsa Beskow was a keen observer of humankind, and offered surprising psychological insight in her narratives at a time when children were still considered naive, and the sole purpose of children’s literature was to foster–no effort was made to stimulate the imagination or make the children identify with heroic, competent characters. This, along with her knowledge of flowers, trees, and the rest of the Nordic flora, along with her interest in the continental Arts & Crafts movement, gives her a unique position in the history of children’s culture,” says Anna-Karin Pusic.

Elsa Beskow16 original water colors from the book Ocke, Nutta och Pillerill, 1939Circa 20 x 18 cm each

ProvenanceOriginally in the artist’s estate.Subsequently by descent within the family.